Aftermath

The spring water burbled.

Fang Yuan sat beside the stream, cleaning the wounds on his body as he pondered the operation, checking to see whether he had left behind any loose ends.

"I wiped out Song Zhigao in one fell swoop. I'd originally meant to cripple the Song Family, but I never expected Song Yujie to be there too. I had no choice but to kill him as well!"

Fang Yuan felt not the slightest regret over killing Song Yujie.

On the contrary, if his Martial Arts had been strong enough, he would have killed him even with Elder Song Zhong there!

Once they were mortal enemies, what sense was there in leaving the roots intact?

"With Song Zhigao gone, I can rest easy for a while... only..."

Fang Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.

He knew full well that killing Song Zhigao was nothing, but Song Yujie had died there too. That was bound to enrage Song Zhong, if not the entire Gui Ling Sect.

If he was found out, there would be no end to the bloodshed.

After thinking it through carefully, Fang Yuan was certain he had left no loose ends.

After all, there were plenty of witnesses in Hidden Valley who could vouch that he had not been there, and he had never been seen by anyone since he came out.

As for Black Sand Palm? That was even more laughable. In all of Qinghe Commandery, there were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, martial artists who had practiced Black Sand Palm.

Besides, he had obtained the manual only recently. Could he really have mastered it so quickly that he was already capable of killing Song Yujie? Even Steward Lin himself wouldn't believe that!

So for now, as long as nothing goes wrong in Hidden Valley, I'm safe...

Fang Yuan applied golden wound medicine to his chest, put on his outer robe, then moved around a little. Finding that the wounds still hurt but did not hinder his movements, he nodded.

"Of course, there are many methods in this world that I don't know about, so I can't afford to be careless..."

Fang Yuan silently reminded himself.

In this world, martial artists were the mysterious power most familiar to ordinary people. But beyond them were all kinds of Spirit Scholars, Spellcasters, Pill Masters, and the countless tales of Demons, Monsters, and Ghosts, immortals, and strange happenings. There was no smoke without fire.

Perhaps there were one or two methods he could not even imagine that could uncover his secret.

"Of course... Song Zhong doesn't have that much influence, and even the Gui Ling Sect might not be able to manage it... So I still have time! I have to hurry and grow stronger."

At the moment, he had no one to rely on and his Martial Arts were weak, so anyone could step on him.

But what if he were a Martial Ancestor, or even a legendary immortal Spirit Scholar? Forget Song Zhigao—even Song Yujie would have been his to kill, and what could Song Zhong have done about it?

In the end, it all came down to strength!

With his strength lacking, a protective charm was important.

Fang Yuan glanced at the sun, then raced along the mountain path until he reached Hidden Valley.

"Chitter!"

A white blur flashed, and the Flower Fox Ferret appeared. It chittered, stretched out its head for Fang Yuan to rub, and waved its little paws as if trying to tell him something.

"Oh, nothing's been touched?"

Understanding what the Flower Fox Ferret meant, Fang Yuan breathed a deep sigh of relief.

If the Zhou Family or Lin Family had gotten restless and discovered the secrets of Hidden Valley—or simply broken through the Four Gates and found Fang Yuan missing—he would have taken the Flower Fox Ferret and fled for his life without another word.

It wasn't as if he couldn't grow Spirit Seeds himself. What mattered more than his life?

But now, everything was unfolding according to Fang Yuan's plans.

"Mm, thanks for your hard work!"

After sending off the Flower Fox Ferret, Fang Yuan immediately slipped into the secret passage and entered the stone chamber.

Old Master Zhou was important too. If the man died, Fang Yuan would still struggle to establish himself.

With that in mind, Fang Yuan lit the oil lamp and immediately saw a bluish-black face on the stone bed, covered in poisonous growths and oozing pus.

At first glance, it looked as if Old Master Zhou had already succumbed to the poison.

Fang Yuan saw him and let out a long breath of relief. "It worked!"

He knew that though Old Master Zhou looked terrifying, he had narrowly clawed his way back from death.

Lover's Intoxication had penetrated to the very marrow of his bones. It was impossible for symptoms to show on the surface; left untreated, the poison would eventually strike, leaving no hope of recovery.

But now the poison had surfaced, a sign that it had been forced out.

"Still, judging by the way he looks, the poison must have been deep in his system. It couldn't have been just a day or two!"

Seeing this, Fang Yuan shook his head. He fed Old Master Zhou another pill of King of Hell's Post, then cut open his arm, pricked his acupoints with Silver Needles, and let the poisonous blood drain.

After working at it for nearly half an hour, Old Master Zhou's breathing finally steadied. The pustules on his face disappeared, and a faint flush returned. It was clear he had been saved.

"Phew..."

Fang Yuan wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a long breath.

If he hadn't needed the Zhou Family to corroborate his story and provide him with an alibi, he would never have spent so much on Old Master Zhou all at once.

There had not been much Poison Dragon Grass to begin with, and his supply of King of Hell's Post was limited. Besides, he needed King of Hell's Post as a safeguard while practicing Black Sand Palm and extracting its poison.

You old geezer, you sure got a bargain...

Fang Yuan muttered to himself, pressed the mechanism, and opened the stone door to the meditation chamber.

Click! Clack!

As the mechanism turned, the enormous stone door, as wide as a millstone, slid aside by itself, and dazzling sunlight poured in.

"Young Layman, how did it go?"

Outside, Zhou Wenwu, Zhou Wenxin, and Steward Lin all waited anxiously, their faces full of unease.

"Everything went smoothly!"

Fang Yuan had naturally taken care of every loose end. He let Zhou Wenwu go inside and carry out Old Master Zhou, whom he had already pulled back from the gates of death.

"He's out of danger. Remember to prescribe some warming and nourishing medicine. After a period of rest, he'll recover completely!"

Lover's Intoxication clung like a maggot to the bone. Worse, it had been growing stronger with the help of all those potent tonics.

So the Zhou Family's desperate search for rare medicinal ingredients to give Old Master Zhou had been no better than hastening his death.

Fang Yuan had also realized that there had to be a mole within the Zhou Family.

But he had no ties to the Zhou Family, so there was no need to bring it up.

"Please, Young Layman, show mercy and let the old master stay here for a few days!"

Zhou Wenwu hurriedly examined his father. Delighted, he bowed deeply.

"That's fine, but he'll have to stay outside the valley. I like peace and quiet and don't want to be disturbed."

Fang Yuan rubbed his chin and nodded.

Since he had agreed to save the man, he had to see it through. Otherwise, if Old Master Zhou returned to the Zhou Family and was harmed again, who would be responsible?

"Haha, my dear nephew's Medical Skill is already every bit as good as Heart-Questioning Hermit's!"

Steward Lin beamed, feeling a little regretful.

"Mm, I'm tired today. Everyone, see yourselves out!"

Fang Yuan flicked his sleeve, making it clear that he was sending them away.

Normally, everyone would have thought the boy audacious. But now they faced a miracle doctor who could raise the dead and restore flesh to bare bones. Their awe of him grew, and they promptly left Hidden Valley, showing him considerable respect.

After all, Old Master Zhou's recovery still depended on Fang Yuan. Even they couldn't be sure that they would never be injured or fall ill and need his help someday, so they were all extremely courteous.

Once this troublesome crowd had left, Fang Yuan let out a long breath.

With so many witnesses, whether Elder Song would even suspect him of killing Song Yujie was another matter. Even if he did have his suspicions, this was more than enough to dispel them.

Qingye City.

In front of a heap of ruins.

"Jie'er?"

Elder Song was in his fifties. Song Yujie had been a late-born son, and he had treasured him all the more for it.

Hearing the shocking news, he had rushed over on horseback without even attending to the sect's affairs. Now he stood before the ruins of Song Zhigao's residence, staring blankly.

"Elder Song, the maids and servants who were in the residence have all been brought here. Not one is missing!"

A dozen Gui Ling Sect disciples bowed and presented the group of cowering servants behind them.

Though Fang Yuan had killed and burned, he had not slaughtered innocents. Quite a few servants had stolen their master's gold and silver, planning to flee far away.

Yet now, every last one of them was here, showing just how astonishing the reach of Song Zhong's influence was.

"Speak! Tell me everything that happened that day, without leaving out a single word!"

Song Zhong's face was as still as an ancient well. His eyelids drooped and his voice was indifferent, but it made people think of the stillness before a storm.

"Spare us, Elder Song!"

The maids and servants wept and begged for mercy. "A man in a bamboo hat came in and killed Song Zhigao and Young Master Song. We had nothing to do with it!"

"Yujie... is dead?!"

Song Zhong murmured in disbelief, then waved a hand, sending a surge of force outward.

Pfft! Pfft!

A dozen gaping holes burst open in the servant who had spoken, and blood poured from him like spring water.

"If Yujie is dead, why are you still alive?"

Song Zhong murmured, then beckoned one of his disciples over. "Song San, I took you in, and you understand my mind better than anyone. Go at once and interrogate these people thoroughly. I want to know everything about that man in the bamboo hat!"

"Yes, Master!"

Song San looked solemn, but inside he was a little overjoyed.

After all, Song Yujie had been there, blocking many people's chances from the start.

Now that he knew Song Yujie was dead, there was finally an opportunity for the disciples.

If he could inherit Song Zhong's legacy and wealth, he would soar to the heavens in a single leap!

I don't know where you are, killer, but I still have to thank you... Since you've helped me once, help me a second time. Let your head pave my road to the clouds!

Song San sneered inwardly. On the surface, however, he still looked solemn and grief-stricken. Clenching his fists, he declared, "We'll avenge Junior Brother!"

"Mm!"

Song Zhong had lived long enough to know people inside out. He waved Song San away, but a trace of disdain flashed through his eyes.

Did they really think he couldn't see what his disciples were thinking? He merely had to use them for now, so he was willing to put up with them.

For the moment, the most urgent matter was avenging Yujie!

I personally taught Yujie. His Martial Arts had already reached the Four Gates, and he was skilled in Gui Ling Sword Technique and its mental cultivation method. Even against an ordinary martial artist at the Five Gates, he could have held his own. How could he have died? How could he be dead?

Staring at the ruins, Song Zhong murmured to himself, "Could one of my old enemies have set this up?"

No matter how he turned it over in his mind, he could not imagine that Song Yujie's death had been nothing but a stroke of chance. Instead, the more he thought about it, the further he strayed, fixing his sights on several old enemies.